I sometimes use this exit outside of rush hour and at weekends to get to shops on Perry Vale. There are frequently some dodgy characters(no, not the staff), hanging around the top of the stairs when its quiet. and I am usually glad when I reach the bottom of the steps and can make a quick getaway. I would not like to be trapped on these stairs fumbling for my ticket in my bag with some of these people hanging around, especially not in the dark.

Even the barriers at the main station exit frequently do not work at all, or do not work fast enough to let people through without a jam so there is often a backlog and a crush as some bad tempered people push past and through. If this happens at the Perry Vale entrance it will be disastrous. Someone should remind them what happened at Hillsborough. There is a good reason for the continued staffing levels at Forest Hill even though the barriers are up and running ie you can't always rely on technology.

It would be a good idea I think to arrange an onsite meeting with Southern for them to talk /walk someone through their proposals and to perhaps arrange a mock up of the proposed barriers on site so that the problems can be looked at closely from all perspectives including ease of escape in an emergency, something I think Southern are required to factor in to their proposals.